One or more embodiments of the invention generally relate to machine learning systems. More particularly, certain embodiments of the invention relates to machine learning systems in point of sale systems.
The following background information may present examples of specific aspects of the prior art (e.g., without limitation, approaches, facts, or common wisdom) that, while expected to be helpful to further educate the reader as to additional aspects of the prior art, is not to be construed as limiting the present invention, or any embodiments thereof, to anything stated or implied therein or inferred thereupon.
The following is an example of a specific aspect in the prior art that, while expected to be helpful to further educate the reader as to additional aspects of the prior art, is not to be construed as limiting the present invention, or any embodiments thereof, to anything stated or implied therein or inferred thereupon. In a traditional way, retail stores may either label each item with barcode or quick response (QR) code. Sometimes, they may need cashiers to remember an ID of each item or non-labeled items. The ID could be a few letters, digits or combination of letters and digits. The barcode, QR code or ID may be used for connecting to a database to get the price of that item. A point-of-sale (POS) is a place where a retail transaction may be completed. It is the place that a customer makes a payment to the merchant in exchange for goods. At the point of sale, the retailer may calculate the total amount customer needs to pay and provide options for the customer to make a payment. The merchant may also normally issue a receipt for the transaction. There are various POS systems for different retail industries uses. Different retail industries may use their customized hardware and software according to their requirements. Many retailers may use weighing scales, scanners, electronic and manual cash registers, terminals, touch screens and any other wide variety of hardware and software available for us with POS. For example, a grocery store may use a scale at the point of sale, while restaurants may use software to customize service sold when a customer requests for a meal or drink. The point of sale may also be referred to as a point of service. It is because it is not just a point of sale, but also a point of return or customer order. The POS system has many features such as inventory management, CRM, financials and warehousing, etc.
By way of educational background, another aspect of the prior art generally useful to be aware of is a cloud-based POS is a system deployed as software as a service, which may be accessed directly from the Internet by using an internet browser. Cloud-based POS systems may be independent from platform and operating system limitations. It may also be designed to be compatible with a wide range of POS hardware and sometimes compatible with mobile devices. Cloud-based POS systems may store data, and inventory in a remote server. The cloud-based POS system may not run locally, so there may be no installation required in the local store.
In view of the foregoing, it is clear that these traditional techniques are not perfect and leave room for more optimal approaches.
Unless otherwise indicated illustrations in the figures are not necessarily drawn to scale.